Coin-operated vending machine



0 1929- c. F. KUR TZ COIN OPERATED VENDING MACHINE Filed Jan. 29, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. M

d. ATTORNEY.

Get. 22, 1929. c. F. KURTZ COIN OPERATED VENDING MACHINE Z Sheets-finest Filed Jan. 29, 1927 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

l atented Oct. 22, 1929 UNITED- STATES PATENT o F c cameras 1?. KURTZ, or RocK IsLAND, rumors, ASSIGNOR or ONE-HALF ro HARRY E.

LONG, or ROCK ISLAND, ILLINOIS I COIN-OPERATED VENDING MACHINE Application filed. January 29, 1927. Serial No. 164,416.

My invention has reference to coin operated vending machines, and as set forth herein it is more specially designed for use on the top of a show-case or counter on the inside of a store, where other lines of merchandise are being bartered than those contained in the machine. It is intended chiefly for the automatic sale and delivery of small packages of confections or other articles, such packages being supported in the machine so as to have a gravity feed toward the point of delivery. Some confections are put up in cylindrical shaped packages of a uniform size, which shape assists in the movement of said packages by their own momentum. In the illustration of the invention in the accompanying drawings it is shown as applied to the sale of packages of that kind, but it is not necessarily limited thereto, as it can be adapted to the sale of articles of varying sizes and shapes, which are susceptible to a gravity feed and discharge in regular order.

The machine is shown supplied with electrically controlled mechanism, in which a circuit is closed by the insertion of a coin of predetermined value, which closing of the circuit operates torelease the first of a series of parcels or articles contained in the machine. The movement of the coin is interrupted until the discharged parcel is received upon a delivery plate, causing a movement of such plate, and setting in motion devices for the discharge of the coin, upon which the mechanism returns to its normal position.

" This is not fully effected until the package that is being delivered is removed from the machine.

The particular construction, arrangement, and operation of the various parts of the machine will be more fully understood from the 50 Fig. at is a side elevation with the casing pemoved, and the forward end shown in secion.

Fig. 5 is a detail of a modified form of the detent.

Fig. 6 shows a detail of another modified form of the detent, for use more specially withpaokages of rectangular form.

The invention comprises a central boxportion, formed of side pieces 1 and 2, and end pieces 3 and 4. I The bottom is formed of a floor 5, above which isa second floor or partition 6, dividing the box into two compartments, the lower one of which contains some of the mechanical parts,'and the upper one" of which holds the parcels tobe sold. The floor 6 is supported by strips 7, and other strips 8, 7 preferably of glass, are supported upon the floor 6, upon which last-named strips is held a glass plate 9, forming a cover for the upper compartment. The floor 6 may also be formed of glass, with a mirrored upper surface.

The sides of the box are enclosed by metal casings 10 and 11, which conceal-parts ofthe mechanism and add to the appearance of the machine. The lower endof the box is similarly provided with a plate 12, and atthe upper end of the box is a plate 1%, hinged at one side to the casing, and having a connection at the other side with a staple 12 for use with a small padlock, as shown, for holding the'plate in place. Upon the plate being re leased and swung to one side, the plate ,9 can be slipped upwardly for the purpose of slipplying the upper compartment with parcels. Upon the plate 9 being replaced and the plate 12 locked in closed position the parcels cannot be removed except in the contemplated manner. I

The receptacle thus formed is supported at one end by a leg frame 13, pivoted to lugs'14 on the bottom of the box, so as to be foldable vagainst such box, and the other end of said receptacle is supported by a relatively short frame 15. By this means the box is held in a sloping manner, so that packages contained therein, as shown at 16, will have a tendency to move toward the lower end of the receptacle, of their own weight.

In the lower end of the machine is a space -17, of suflicient Width to permit the passage Y the, parcel before referred to.

of one of the parcels 16 at a time, the end pareel being held temporarily from release by means of a detent 18, rockingly supported on the ends of the strips 7. At the ends of said strips is a plate 19, forming the inner wall of the passage 17. Projected down wardly from the detent 18 is an arm 20, connected by a rod 21 with one end of an armature 22, the other end of which is pivoted as at a, in proximity to which armature is an electro-magnet 23, fixed on the floor 5. The armature is held normally out of contact with the magnet by-a spring 24, fixed to a'pin in the floor 5. Connected with one end of the magnet coil is a wire 25, passing out of an opening in the floor 5 at b, and joining in a cord 26, for connection with a source of electrical energy, such as an ordinary mercantile lighting system. Another wire 27 leads from the magnet to a connection with a terminal 28 pivoted in a recess 29 in the side of the box, by means of a post 30, to which the wire is attached. Spaced apart from the terminal 28 is a terminal 31, supported from i the bottom of the box, and provided with a post 32, to which is attached one end of a wire 33, which is also carried out thru the opening at Z), and joined in the cord 26. The circuit thru the wires 25, 27, and 33 is normally broken by the gap between the terminals 28 and 31, but upon a contact being formed betweensaid terminals the circuit is closed, causing the magnet 23 to be energized, and attracting thereto the armature 22-. This operates to rock the detent 18 rearwardly, as shown in broken lines in Fig. 4, permittin the foremost package 16 to drop downwardly in the space 17. At the same time the detent forms a barrier to. the next succeeding package holding back all of such packages as are still in the compartment. Upon the circuit being again broken the armature resumes its former position, and the detent is rocked forwardly permitting the next succeeding package to be positioned in the upper end of the space 17, ready for de livery.

Secured to the terminal 28 is a plate 35 of sufficient width to support a coin of common form, with said coin standing on edge. In the side-piece 2 above said plate is a coin passage 36, of tortuous form, at the upper end of which is an opening 37 in the casing 11. A coin of desired value, such as a five cent piece upon being inserted in said opening, will pass downwardly and forwardly until it is deposited on the plate 35, which is moved downwardly from the weight of the coin. This will also move the terminal 28 downwardly, causing a contact thereof with the terminal 31, and resulting in the release of The downward movement of the plate 35 is limited by a stop 38 and upon being relieved of the weight of the coin said plate isreturned to its elevated position by means of a rod 39 movable in a recess in the floor 5 and passing beneath said plate. Said rod is given an upward tendency by means of a spring plate 40 fixed to the floor 5, the end of which passes just beneath said rod.

There is an opening'36 in the si'de piece 2 at the inner side of the coin when it is positioned on the plate 35 which permits it to be discharged into the interior of the box, or into a receptacle, as shown, the dislodgement of the coin being effected by the parcel that is being delivered,in the following manner At the lower end of the passage 17 is a delivery plate 41, upon which the parcel drops thru an opening at the end of said passage. Said plate has a pivotal support at c, and is provided at one side with an arm 42, connected by a rod 43 with a lever 44 pivoted in the side of the box, as at d. On the free end of said lever is a trip 45, in line'with a coin when resting on the plate 35. Upon the plate 41 being forced downwardly by the weight of the package 16, as indicated in broken lines in Fig. 4, the rod 43 is movedforwardly, rocking the lever 44, and causing the finger 45 to force'the coin from its resting place. Projected outwardly from the trip 45 is a small plate 46, which prevents the positioning of another coin on the plate 35 until the parcel is removed from the plate 41, and said plate returned to its upper position. Such return is accomplished by means of a coiled spring 47, fixed at one end to the side of the box and at the other end to a pin 48 fixed to the rod 43, and passing thru a slot in said side.

A receptacle for the coins is shown at 49, secured to the inner face of the floor 5, and provided with a removable plate 50 and lock 51 therefor.

In Fig. 5 is shown a different form of the detent, consisting of a plate 52, bent upwardly to form a check for the first of the parcels, and slidable in a guide :53, attached to the lower face of the floor 6. The detent is drawn rearwardly by means of a lever 54,'and connections with an armature as in the former case, such movement releasing the first par.- cel and presenting an obstruction to the succeeding one. p

In Fig. 6 is shown a still different form of the detent, which is designed more specially for use with packages of rectangular shape, as shown at 55 in the upper compartment.

The first parcel is held by a plate 56, pivoted to swing downwardly, and provided with an arm 57 and rod 58 for operation. The downward movement of the plate releases the first'parcel and at the same time a rearward projection of said plate is turned upwardly sufiiclently to :hold the next succeeding pack different unitary parts being supplied with different kinds of confections or goods, if desired. Such ornamentation as may be desired can be given to the casing, and the faces thereof provide ample space for advertising matter. The display of the articles thru the glass cover has a suggestive efiect on the observer, and aids in the sale of such articles.

Changes can be made in the form and arrangement of the machine without departing from the spirit thereof, as set forth herein. Adaptations can be made for the handling of goods of a much larger character than those set forth herein.

lVhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a machine of the class described, a parcel compartment adapted to contain a series of parcels in position to be delivered therefrom by gravity, a discharge passage at the end of said compartment, a detent partially closing said passage and acting as a check for the first of a series of parcels, electrical mechanism connected therewith for moving the same to release said first parcel and check the movement of the succeeding parcels, a normally open circuit for said mechanism, a coinlever for closing said circuit and coin-way leading thereto, said lever arresting the movement of a coin deposited thereon, a delivery plate for the discharged parcel, movable from the weight thereof, a trip adjacent to said coin lever, and connecting means between said delivery plate and said trip foractuating the trip to discharge the coin from said lever upon the movement of said delivery plate.

2. In a machine of the class described, a parcel compartment having an inclined floor and space beneath the same, a discharge passage at the lower end of said floor, a parcel detent held movably in said passage, acting normally as a check to the movement of parcels contained in said. compartment, an elect-roe magnetic system contained in said space, and operatively connected with said detent, toactuate the same to release one parcel at a time, a pair of terminals in said system, normally open, a coin lever connected with one of said terminals and adapted to cause a contact with the other terminal upon a coin being deposited thereon, said lever arresting the movement of the coin, a delivery plate to receive the dis charged parcel and movable by the impact thereof, a coin discharge trip adjacent to the coin lever, and connecting means between said delivery plate and coin trip to actuate the same coincidently with the discharge of the parcel.

3. In a machine of the class described, a box supported in inclined position having an upper compartment to receive a series of parcels, removable therefrom by gravity, a space in the lower part of said box and coin receptacle therein, a discharge passage at the lower end of said compartment, a detent in said passage, movable so as to clear said passage and i of the discharge passage, movable by the im-- pact of a parcel delivered thereto, a coin trip movable above the coin lever, and connecting means between the delivery plate and said trip to cause a movement of said trip to discharge a coin from said lever.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

CHARLES F. KURTZ. 

